HS in Sotkamo | The Sotkamo shoe store is visited from afar, but now it is closing its doors: This is a store straight from the past

At the door the announced closing time has already passed, but customers enter the messy shoe store at a steady pace.

Dealer Seppo Saastamoinen, 75, doesn’t rush to close the door and doesn’t turn anyone away. He casually exchanges a word with every passer-by in the shop, some with more than one.

In addition, he once again searches for requested products and recommends candidates based on wishes. Many people buy what they came for, but they also buy other things at the same time.

“A store with service”, exclaims one customer with a smile.

Many people have said the same thing over the years, and customer feedback forums on the internet repeatedly praise “old-time service”.

Bazaar-like the shoe store is located in the center of Sotkamo in an old wooden house.

The store is full of shoes on shelves, baskets and boxes, from side to side. There’s always something hanging from the ceiling too. There’s also a lot more, shoe essentials and bags. There are specialties, mainstream and sizes from wide to wide.

If something is not available at the store, Saastamoinen has stopped by the warehouse to pick it up. It has been found for many.

Familiar locals, vacationers who visit every year, and even rarer guests enter the shoe store’s door.

“One time when the Lord came in, he was wearing really valuable long-handled sealskin shoes. They were put in a bag and replaced by a Finnish boot”, Saastamoinen recalls with a smile.

Saastamois, who has worked in the field of trade for 60 years, has also been praised for his ability to quickly see what kind of proposal should be made to the customer.

“I take a look at old shoes and think about what the customer says. According to that, I start presenting and searching. Yes, the customers somehow read it. Many have already succeeded in the first shoe offered.”

Service area has been a messy movement wide and not only limited to Finland.

Saastamoinen says, for example, that he received a call from Estonia, where only Russian military boots were available. The questioner was a motorcyclist who needed leather boots in size 47.

“Some other motorcyclist had then said to call Sotkamo. They didn’t go shopping in Helsinki, they called here.”

The customer paid the boots to the bank, and Saastamoinen delivered the shoes to Estonia, from where the satisfied motorcyclist called Saastamoinen to thank him.

As a merchant, Saastamoinen has also experienced the times when the flow of Russian tourists to Sotkamo was at its strongest on both sides of the turn of the year. It was a good time for a shoe retailer.

“They eagerly bought reindeer antlers. The taxi brought to the front steps, and the ladies came to shop.”

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Saastamoinen survived the corona era, even though the customers lost. Online store sales helped.

Filthy over the years, there are many stories about customers who came from elsewhere.

Many may live in the area of ​​several shoe stores, but they have still bought their versatile selection of shoes from Saastamoien for years.

What draws people to go shoe shopping in Sotkamo?

“Of course, it’s nice to shop in your free time, but it’s the difference that appeals. Let’s see what catches our eye. There are an awful lot of such shops”, Saastamoinen thinks.

“Locals often look for certain rubber shoes or party shoes, but tourists may think that when we’re here once a year, we’ll buy one in addition to the other.”

The Corona period has made many transactions difficult. Saastamoinen survived that too, even though the customers lost and the shop was open for a while only by call.

It happened like many others: online store sales helped.

“It went really well. There were very few returns. I remember when a couple of men from Helsinki ordered five pairs of shoes. There was praise that everyone was suitable”, says Saastamoinen happily.

The most significant products have been children’s shoes. It sounds a bit surprising, but Saastamoinen has a logical explanation for this.

“When you come to get shoes for the children, the adults also buy at the same time. If the children’s shoes are left out, then we go to town to buy them and buy everything else at the same time.”

According to Saastomainen, it is really important that children have something to offer.

“As parents, those children come and bring their own children to a familiar store. It feels good.”

Once you’ve gotten used to “buying from Sepo”, you haven’t felt the need to go elsewhere.

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“I would love to give this to someone who continues.”

A merchant too would not like to go elsewhere, but the retirement days are at the door. He no longer orders new ones, but sells off his stock.

Even on the day of the interview, many customers hope for a continuation. It warms Saastamoinen’s mind.

“It’s wonderful when the store is open and there are customers, praise and appreciation. He still does it with his heart. It’s not a burden to come to work and not to be. I would love to give this to someone who continues.”

For the merchant serving, the most difficult thing has been to get used to offering eiota. When there’s no more new stuff, you can’t find everything anymore. Or if found, not exactly the customer’s size.

“Many wish for a good retirement age, it softens things up a bit. Get used to this idea.”